This invention relates to snack bar food products. More particularly, it relates to snack bars containing psyllium, as well as mixes useful in making the snack bars. The psyllium may be incorporated into the snack bars in any of a number of ways, so as to yield an organoleptically acceptable product. The snack bars may be used to assimilate psyllium into the diet for any of the therapeutic goals associated therewith.
Psyllium is a known mucilaginous material which has found extensive use in bulk laxatives. The source of psyllium is seeds from the plants of the Plantago genus, which grow in certain sub-tropical regions. The seeds are dark brown, smooth, boat-shaped and shiny. Since it is believed by those skilled in the art that the active ingredient of psyllium is the psyllium seed gum, which is located primarily in the seed husk, present technology uses the ground seed husk as the source for psyllium. However, the whole seed is also known as a psyllium source, as well as the dehusked psyllium seed.
Due to the mucilaginous nature of psyllium, however, psyllium acquires a slimy or adhesive texture and mouthfeel upon hydration. This slimy mouthfeel is unpalatable and, accordingly, various additives have been incorporated in psyllium-containing ingestible compositions in order to mask the undesirable texture and mouthfeel of the psyllium. In addition, psyllium develops a distinctive, undesirable flavor in the presence of heat and moisture which further limits its use in food products.
Notwithstanding the undesirable flavor and texture imparted to an ingestible composition by psyllium or psyllium husks, various psyllium-containing foodstuffs have been proposed which purport to take advantage of the natural digestion regulation properties of psyllium, or the satiating or xe2x80x9cfullness-feelingxe2x80x9d effect of psyllium. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,574,634 and 4,348,379.
In addition, it has been suggested, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,114, the whole psyllium husks, such as the ground husks of the seed of Plantago psyllium, lower blood cholesterol upon oral administration thereof. Further, it has also long been known to use small quantities of psyllium, such as less than 1%, as a thickener in foodstuffs, such as in ice cream, puddings and the like.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,222 discloses a medicament composition for reducing blood cholesterol levels in humans and lower animals which comprises a mixture of psyllium seed gum, or source of psyllium seed gum, and a nonabsorbable, nondigestible polyol polyester.
However, as set forth above, the mucilaginous nature of psyllium husks presents grave processing difficulties, and prior attempts to produce a palatable, ready-to-eat food product containing psyllium have not resulted in a satisfactory product to date, particularly, with respect to flavor and texture or mouthfeel.
Attempts have been made to incorporate psyllium into foodstuffs, so that the fiber can be consumed as part of a regular meal or other aspect of a normal diet, without any connotation or association with medicines, as well as with acceptable organoleptic properties. Examples of the patent literature involving psyllium incorporated into foodstuffs are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,223,298 and 5,227,248, both of which are incorporated by reference. These patents teach psyllium containing ready to eat cereals. Additional examples of cereals containing psyllium are set forth by Moskowitz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,004; Ringe U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,996; and Ringe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,689. Other foodstuffs which include psyllium are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,008 and 4,950,140 both of which teach cookies with incorporated psyllium, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,486, which teaches microwavable muffins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,140 to Pflaumer et al. teaches the incorporation of psyllium into cookies, in order to treat gastrointestinal disorders and to reduce cholesterol. In applications Ser. Nos. 08/123,352, 08/123,353 and 08/123,342 concurrently filed and assigned to the assignee of the subject application, new food products containing psyllium are taught, including cereal, bread, and pasta. These disclosures are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The manner in which food products such as cereal, bread and pasta are made are not appropriate for the manufacture of snack bars. As such, the invention also concerns processes for making the snack bars of the invention.
All features of the invention will be explained in the disclosure which follows.